Avenue of Dreams
by silkycatastrophe
Summary: "The only thing worse than a boy who hates you, is a boy who loves you." / The year is 1937. Nine year old, Ally and her brother are adopted by two German residents, who teach her about the magic of music. As she ages, she learns to deal with the horrors of war, by borrowing and sharing her musical talent with a boy who shares her new found passion for music.


**Avenue of Dreams**

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Summary: _"The only thing worse than a boy who hates you, is a boy who loves you."/_The year is 1937. Nine year old, Ally and her brother are adopted by two German residents, who teach her about the magic of music. As she ages, she learns to deal with the horrors of war, by borrowing and sharing her musical talent with a boy who shares her new found passion for music.

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_"The only thing worse than a boy who hates you, is a boy who loves you."  
- Markus Zusak_

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My latest story idea was proposed while I was watching The Book Thief the other night. It was so beautifully and tragically done, and I realized that for whatever reason I thought of my two favourite characters when I saw Liesel and Rudy, that's right, Austin and Ally. So I thought about it for a few nights and boom, there was my idea, Little Ally D, the song thief and her new best friend Austin Moon. Now, I realize their names aren't very German, but everything else in the story will be historically accurate and will at least make some sense in the story. If you have any questions at all involving the story, history, and music, please do not hesitate to ask in a review, or private message, I will try my best to reply.

To clarify, Ally is _nine_ years old, and Austin is eight months older than her. By the end of the story the year will be 1945, they will be _seventeen_. It will me much more of the story of their love and romance where in The Book Thief the fundamentals are built off of Liesel's love for books and reading. The difference will not only be replacing books with music and lyrics, but also in the lifestyle. I don't want to give too much away, but I think this is some of my best writing ever and I can only hope that you might appreciate my writing in such a way that may result in a follow, favourite or review to show your gratitude. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Austin and Ally, or The Book Thief; those wonderful and powerful works belong to the producers and Markus Zusak. I highly recommend reading the book and watching the movie, in that order. There is absolutely NO copyright infringement intended.

_German vocab: _Herr = Sir, Führer = Leader, Nein = No

Football in Europe is equivalent to Soccer in Canada and America and wherever else.

**Chapter 1: Der Anfang – The Beginning**

Music wasn't anything special; she heard it sometimes, but not often enough. The man with the set of spoons on the train clapped them together in a terrifying rhythmic motion, but it didn't bring joy to her ears, or provide a sense of relief, it was in a sense, irritating, and annoying. Distracting herself didn't help, because every time she almost forgot about it, that ringing sound of clapping zoned through the cabin. Looking through the window, it was beginning to fog and become pale from the change in temperatures. The below freezing temperature, and the heat from all of the bodies travelling didn't match. Trees swarmed by, looking like they had somewhere to be. The empty branches made Ally wonder if they ever got cold, maybe they were looking for their leaves.

Across from her sat her sleeping mother. Her pale figure was similar to the window. She looked increasingly exhausted, like no matter how much sleep she'd get, she would still be tired and sore. The brown shawl was wrapped around her neck, she'd never been anywhere without it. Her mother's light brown hair which Ally inherited was slightly messy with pieces beginning to fall out of the bun at the back of her head. Ally couldn't understand how a woman could sleep so peacefully when she was about to ship her children off to a new family. It didn't seem quite fair.

Speaking of the ability of fair, Ally's older brother, Lukas was sitting next to her, angry with the world, and especially their mother. Lukas had blond hair and blue eyes, he was also a very tall boy, and he was the perfect idea of the Führer's golden boy. Lukas was thirteen years old and very protective of his sister. He wore shades of brown with no exception to his light brown loden hunting hat. He watched the window as well, just as he had been for the last thirty minutes or so. He couldn't possibly think of sleeping or resting when his mother was about to ship them off. He was in a rut, wondering why on earth their mother stopped caring about them.

Ally could feel the slowing of the train and her heart began to race. So far, her first time on a train wasn't memorable, and she hoped she would soon be able to forget it. Her hand reached for her brother's as if on instinct. His hand was warm and safe. Lukas was four years older than her, and much braver. He smiled a little bit trying to calm her.

"Lukas?" she said in a small voice. He turned to his younger sister.

"Yes Ally?" he replied quietly as he did up the top button of her jacket that had become unfastened during their lengthy trip.

"Why doesn't Mama love us anymore?"

"She still loves us", he promised, though not believing it himself. "She just can't take care of us anymore."

"Why not?"

"You know what she said about the new family we will be staying with?" he said picking up the old stuffed bunny that had fallen onto the floor? "She said we will get our own room. There will be a field near the house big enough to run a marathon around. We can have picnics, we can go on hikes, there will be a library for you to read in", he told her with shining eyes. "You'll make lots of friends."

"Really?" she said feeling excited for the first time in ages. "Will we get any candy?"

Lukas gave the bunny to her. "Maybe, if you are good."

She smiled and looked back at her mother.

"But I don't want to leave Mama."

Lukas wrapped an arm around Ally and held her closely. He had nothing to say so he just held her like the older brother he was.

She noticed that the clicking sound of spoons had come to a stop. Maybe the man on the other side of the train car had fallen asleep or gotten bored. She was wrong. Their canary stopped playing, and she didn't realize that the air felt colder.

"Nein! Nein my boy!" a deep voice hollered from the other side of the car. Heads turned to see a man with scruffy whiskers and a pained expression on his face. A few gasps were heard, but some of the faces didn't seem surprised. The boy had been coughing the entire trip and looked very sick.

"What's going on here?" said one of the train attendants.

"My boy, he stopped breathing", the man wailed with the boy limb in his arms. A boy about Ally's age with short brown hair and bones near thin as sticks lie dead in his arms. She could see his was dead the way his fingers dangled from his hands. If the boy was alive, his hands would be curled and filled with colour. But they were lacking both. The boy was dead.

"Come this way Herr", an attendant requested.

"This way Sir", another attendant repeated.

"Ally", Lukas said, "Stop staring."

"That boy is dead", she commented.

"Shh. Look", he pointed out the window. The speed has become much slower and there were buildings passing by. Lukas was grateful for the distraction; he didn't want his sister remembering this trip through a dead boy. Even though he was angry with his mother, he didn't want their last memory of her to be a bad one. Unfortunately, the slowing speed of the train was not a good thing, it meant that their time with their widowed mother was almost complete and they would have to part ways. At the train station, a foster parent manager would be waiting for their arrival, where they would say their final goodbyes to their mother and begin their new lives in Berlin.

"There are so many houses!" Ally commented. People were in their gardens, picking flowers and Ally wasn't ashamed to admit that she wanted to join them. They looked happy, and unaware of her arrival. Ally wished she was happy and unaware of her arrival. Maybe then she would be able to enjoy the experience of the train.

"Now, you two have to promise to be the polite and well behaved beautiful children I know you are", their mother instructed. "Lukas, that means looking after Ally and making sure she stays out of trouble." Their mother bent down in front of Ally and tucked her braid back to the right place. A tear slipped down her mother's cheek.

"You be good okay. Make friends, and keep up in your studies", she told her. Ally's bright red coat stood out in the crowd. "I love you so much."

"Please don't go Mama", Ally pleaded.

"You'll be safer here. Okay? I'm doing what is best for you", her mother explained. Ally leaped into her mother's arms and held on tightly. The place that always seemed to be safe for the past nine years of her life slowly began to lack that feeling. She moved onto Lukas.

"You are so brave. I love you very much", his mother told him. He tried to keep a straight face, but cried for his mother. He reached out to wrap his arms around his mother's small shoulders. They pulled away and Ally held onto her mother's hand tightly as her mother looked around the train station. People were scurrying around with suitcases in their hands and frantically looking around to make sure they were boarding the correct train. Her mother's eyes stopped on one woman with a badge on her chest and shoulders.

"There's Ms. Hansweter. Come on", their mother started walking towards the woman.

As they travelled along the country side of the outskirts of Berlin towards the small town within walking distance to Berlin where they would be spending their time, the dirt road was winding around trees and pastures. Ally smiled at the scenery of mountainous terrain followed by lowland grassed area where she could already imagine herself running around in. It seemed the sky was blue for once, it was a welcoming response by the sky and Ally felt that maybe a change in scenery might be good for her and Lukas.

The woman driving, Ms. Hansweter was a talkative woman. She told them all about the family they would be living with and the area. Mr. and Mrs. Hubermann were going to be their foster parents and were merchants so they had a large house. Ally kept quite the entire time and every once and a while Lukas was slide in a comment to be polite. Ally thought the woman was frightening. After all, she did take them away from their mother, but she was also loud and quite tall.

They drove into a town where the streets were narrow and the houses were tightly packed like apartment buildings. There were a few children running down the street and some adult as well, but it was the middle of the day, so many people were working. The children along the street stopped to look at the black car driving down the street and waved at Ms. Hansweter. She always waved back with a happy smiled.

The further into town they drove the greater the distance between the houses became. Ally assumed they were where the richer people lived in town. The stone building passed and they came upon large houses built of white stone and dark brown wood. There were plenty of windows and the yards grew larger.

Ms. Hansweter stopped the car in front of the largest house on the street and turned to Lukas and Ally.

"Welcome to The Avenue of Dreams, children! I'll be right back. Stay here", she instructed in a thick German accent.

"Lukas, I'm scared", Ally spoke for the first time since they left the train station. Her brother looked at her and forced a smile.

"It'll be alright. You'll see. We'll be happy here."

They heard the sound of the house door slam shut and both looked up to the house. A young couple walked out of the both with blonde hair. Maybe it would like there were even related. Not Ally, but Lukas. It was almost shocking, the resemblance, but that was just a trait many Germans possessed. The women looked eager and wrapped a blanket tighter around her. She must have been too excited to grab a coat. Her husband followed quickly behind her and put an arm around her waist as they walked to the vehicle.

Ms. Hansweter opened up Lukas's door and smiled in. "Children, this is Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Annie Hubermann. You're new parents."

"It's so nice to meet both of you finally. We've been looking forward to your arrival for quite some time now", Annie said.

"You as well", Lukas replied. "My name is Lukas and this is my little sister Ally." Lukas was always much better when it came to talking to people. Ally was frequently shy. Annie looked to Ally, but Ally didn't make eye contact, she looked down at the stuffed bunny in her hands. "You'll have to forgive Ally. She's shy."

"No problem. Come, grab your belongings and we'll show you your rooms." Annie was peppy and all smiles. Both the children could tell she liked children and was trying to make them feel welcome. Peter however, was not quite as forward, but was still smiling the entire time.

Lukas was the first one out, and after about half a minute. Ally followed. The problem was, Peter and Annie weren't her mother and no one could replace her.

"Lukas, do you play football (soccer) or any sports", Peter inquired.

"Back home, I liked to play every once and a while", he replied.

"The boy's here just love football. They play back out on the pasture after school", Annie said wrapped her arm around Peter and smiling down at the children. Peter and Annie looked to be about 28 years old.

Lukas nodded.

"Ally your coat is beautiful", Annie told her bending down in front of Ally.

Ally looked down at her red coat, unsure how to reply. "It was my Mama's when she was little."

Annie smiled, happy to hear the little girl's voice. She put a hand on her shoulder. "Would you like to see your room?" Ally nodded and looked at Lukas. He seemed thrilled that she was making a small effort to be nice and reasonable.

They walked up the steps to the house after Ms. Hansweter left and they said goodbye. Ally followed Lukas, Annie and Peter into the house. She took a quick look at the people who had stopped to see her welcoming. There were a group of children with a ball watching her. The boy in front reminded her of her brother. He had lemon coloured hair, just like Lukas and he was skinny and tall. He held the ball and simply watched her.

She turned back to the house and walked in closing the door behind her.

After settling in their room, which they would be sharing, Ally and Lukas followed Peter for a tour of the house. The room where they would be sleeping was on the top floor of the house. There were two beds and it was a perfect size for the two children. They had paced away their clothes and only then did they realize how eager Peter and Annie were for their arrival, when they saw the existing clothes in the wardrobe waiting for them to wear. On their tour of the house, they stopped in a special room, as he put it. Peter had combined one large room into the Music Room and Library; his prized possession.

"Do you like music?" he asked Ally. Ally shrugged at the skinny blond man who seemed like an over grown boy. He was very handsome. "Well I love music. See this? This is a record player. It plays music, by pressing down on the record while it spins on this piece of machine. The sound comes out of the horn. Have you ever played an instrument?"

Ally shook her head.

"Would you like to learn?"

Ally thought for a moment and looked back at the other instruments in the room. They were full of wonder and open ended questions. They called to her.

"Yes."

Peter smiled down at the young girl. "Excellent, we will start tomorrow."

Ally wandered around the room looking at the instruments and books in awe as Peter watched her.

"Are these your children?" Ally asked the tall man. He bent down near her and smiled at the picture. "The boy is Colin and the girl is Annette. The children are grown older and have moved on and were my sister's children. My sister was much older than me and she and her husband died in a house fire. We took in their children. Now, they are both married and have families of their own. They will be here for Christmas. You'll be able to meet them."

Ally continued to look at the photo and tried to imagine what the two grown children would look like now that they were older. They would have lost their parents at a young age as well, and that didn't make her feel better. It seemed that her new home was just a stop along her journey and she'd move on someday to a new place, where she might be happy. The children gave her hope.

"Come now, Annie must have dinner almost ready now. Do you like Lamb?" Peter asked her.

Ally all but nodded for there wasn't anything else she could do. She looked back one last time at the room full of books and instruments, and realized she would be spending a lot of time in the room, probably alone.

_I don't know what you thought. But I am very proud of what I've put together. It took me a while to write, but I'm excited. I know there wasn't much Austin in here, but if you didn't guess, the boy with the football was Austin. She'll get to know him more in the next chapter. But I won't write any more until I know people are going to read it. So that's up to you. _

_Should I continue?_


End file.
